1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of threat detection and identification, and more specifically, to the field of detection and identification of threats hidden inside cargo shipments.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Guarding against illicit cargo trying to enter the country by land, sea or air shipping containers is a difficult problem. Each year more than 48 million loaded cargo containers move between the world's seaports. Six million loaded cargo containers arrive in the U.S. each year, but only 5 percent have their content visually inspected or x-rayed, opening the possibility that the terrorists could use them to smuggle in nuclear material, explosives, or even themselves.
What is needed is to develop a comprehensive detection and threat identification system that would allow one to detect a potential threat hidden inside a cargo shipment while in transit, and to determine the likelihood that the potential threat hidden inside the cargo shipment becomes a real threat to the homeland security.